Secrets The Vine Cancun Resort and Spa

The overall resort was beautiful. It is a smaller resort environment than I am typically used to for all-inclusive but the staff was great and facilities were well kept.

As the management of this place seems to be asleep at the wheel, it is the goodwill of some of its employees that still makes this hotel special. I have been coming here since 2013 or 2014 (some years twice), and unfortunately the standards have declined.

This was my 9th (or possibly 10th) stay in the Preferred section, and it may well be my last. Before arriving, I contacted the hotel asking that (given it was my 9th stay, and following a difficult work reorganisation) I be allocated a room in a quiet area so I could maximise my rest and sleep. I never received a reply. Is that really the normal level of customer service?

To my surprise, when I arrived at around 6:30pm, I was repeatedly asked whether it was my first stay. Considering my earlier email, which had clearly been ignored by reservations and concierge, this almost felt insulting. However, after an 11-hour flight, all I wanted was a shower, so I did not have the energy to argue.

I was then allocated what was arguably the noisiest room in the Preferred area, on the 21st floor, directly next to the bar and balcony area. Every morning there was noise from around 4am, followed by cleaning activity from about 7am, and in the evenings rowdy guests often remained on the balcony until late. I am not even sure “disappointed” fully covers it.

To add insult to injury, the room’s air conditioning was defective. Aldo kindly explained the issue, but I still had to set the thermostat to 14°C just to achieve roughly 21°C in the room.

I was also asked what times I wanted housekeeping and evening turndown service. Despite this, turndown arrived earlier than agreed, and the staff visibly rolled their eyes when I asked them to return 30 minutes later so I could unpack and shower. At that point I genuinely started to regret booking the hotel.

I also noticed that the bedside lamps, which had been present on previous stays, had been removed, leaving only the rather harsh ceiling spotlights around the bed. My sleep was interrupted several times by noise, although I was at least looking forward to breakfast.

I chose to have breakfast at Olio, which has been available for a little over a year, as I wanted to avoid queuing for the main buffet. I was greeted by a friendly and smiling hostess, Yasmin, and shown to my table. Shortly afterwards my waitress, Sora, welcomed me with: “Good morning and welcome back, sir.”

That small moment made a huge difference. She had not received my earlier email, yet she recognised me and made me feel genuinely welcomed. She was also exceptionally attentive, refilling my coffee without being prompted and anticipating what I needed, something I noticed other waiters did not consistently do over the following days. In fairness, William also recognised me and looked after me very well.

One of the main reasons I book Preferred is access to the infinity pool on the 12th floor, as the other pools are generally too busy for serious swimming, and as a solo traveller I find the pool easier than the beach from a security perspective. Unfortunately, on a daily basis, almost all the loungers appeared “reserved”.

A fellow guest made a telling comment one morning around 8am: “I’ll come back tonight to reserve my seat for tomorrow morning.”

On several occasions I noticed that people who had reserved seats never actually used them, as they were at other pools. The pool staff seemed to turn a blind eye to this, despite the hotel’s stated policy. One couple even left a bag on a lounger all morning and only returned at 12:30pm to collect it.

I also noticed again that, as a solo traveller, I was often treated as something of a second-class customer, particularly in the evenings. Examples included bread not being brought automatically as it was to other tables, and drinks not being refilled unless I repeatedly asked.

Restaurant comments

Dragons

The hostess was very pleasant. However, the sushi offering has declined over the years, and several dishes now seem heavily tailored to an American audience. For example, the Pad Thai was served with an excessive amount of sauce. The waiter also attempted to upsell a “Chef’s Table” option at USD 250 per person in order to have lobster and steak.

Nebbiolo

Again, the hostess was very pleasant. My waiter, Cesar, required several reminders. I had to ask more than once for bread to accompany my starter, and again for my wine glass to be refilled.

Bluewater Grill

The hostess was pleasant, but the range of steak cuts and side dishes has noticeably reduced compared with previous stays.

The waiter, whom I recognised from earlier visits, questioned my choice of butter as a condiment for my steak and insisted I should have chosen a wine or pepper sauce instead. I explained that, as a European guest, my view of gastronomy may differ from what is more commonly expected by American visitors.

I ordered spinach and mashed potato. The spinach that arrived was particularly disappointing (photo attached). The apple crumble dessert was also poor and was not even served warm.

Final thoughts

Some may wonder who has the time to write such a detailed review. The answer is someone whose job requires a high level of attention to detail and memory, but also someone who spent an hour waiting for dinner because the waiter, Rodolpho, lost the order and later returned to ask what main course I had requested.

The post-stay survey I completed received a very automated and impersonal response that appeared designed simply to tick the “reply sent” box. It offered no meaningful explanation for the many shortcomings I experienced.

I have often told the reservations team that this hotel felt like my “home away from home”. Sadly, that is no longer the case. I do not expect to be treated like a VIP, but when I spend more than USD 7,000 on what was meant to be a dream holiday and a personal treat, I do expect not to be treated like just another number, or to receive dismissive and condescending service.